I use paper lunchbags. When I harvest, the seeds are usually near ready for packaging anyway. I try not to collect "green" seeds as they tend to mold and rot. It's easy enough to label the bags and leave the tops open so air can circulate. I have a place in my basement where I can keep them out of the way. I was previously using paper plates but of course, those get knocked over or the seeds get blown away. I find the paper bags pretty safe and efficient.
They also work really well for culling things like Asclepias and Emilia or anything with fluff on it. You can just shake the bag and the seeds will fall off to the bottom. The fluff stays on top and you can just pick it out and discard it.

Valiche, Thanks for the quick response!!!

I tried lunch bags last year and all the seeds got caught in the seams and it was a bear getting them unstuck from under the seams, especially at the bottom.

Do your lunch bags have seams, or are they a special kind?

Do you find it is a problem -- or maybe I should just as how you deal with that particular problem. Maybe there is a quick and easy fix. Lunch bags would be ideal for me. Nice and neat, the names on the outside and I could easily add to them as the seeds ripen through the summer months.

Lime

I also collect them into paper lunch bags. I let the bags sit around until I'm sure seeds are fully dry, then dump a small amount at a time into a tupperware container, lid snapped on, and shake. The seeds come right out of pods and are much easier to seperate from chaff. Finally, I seal them into the tiny ziplock bags to store.

Karen

My DH gets his newspaper delivered every morning in long see-through pink plastic bags which are about 2 feet long and 7 inches wide. In the fall you will see many, many of these bags tacked to the wall of our basement stairwell all labeled with seed pods and seed heads in them. The tops are left open for the seeds to dry, and since the bags are long, if some of the seeds 'pop', they just drop back into the bag. This area is cool, dry, and dark.

It's kind of hard to explain, but to get access to the seeds, you have to put down this massive door and walk over it so rarely does someone venture there but me.

When I'm ready to pack them, I just take the bags and give them a good shake. All the seeds go to the bottom of the bag.

I would not recommend plastic bags though. I have been doing this for a couple of years and will watch to make sure there's no moisture. Paper bags are good and probably best for someone just starting out.

I just like to marvel through the pink plastic at how many seeds a stem of Butterfly Bush can produce... Truly amazing!

In glad storage bowls with no lids. Like Valiche, seeds are pretty dry when I harvest. I just put them in the bowls, blow out as much chaff as I can and then leave them on the kitchen counter for 2-3 days. Works fine.

I have shelves dedicated to my seed stuff- I use & reuse foil pans. This time of year often finds several pans loaded with seeds drying out!

Mine is similar to Susan's: used foil pans, plastic containers & tuna cans, etc. I just moved my makeshift table to the garage. The table is actually a futon headboard that I set on a couple of sawhorses & metal table legs found in the alley. In winter I use this table for my containers. Now it will be my drying rack. Too cool.

AAAHHH 2 great minds :-)

I, too, need containers that are spill-proof, so I like to use small jars; they aren't tippy, and I can lid them if the seeds are dry enough. Being able to lid it also makes it nice for shaking the seeds free. I add silica gel if I have the packets. (by the way, you can buy a container of silica at the craft store, and then make your own packets using the origami seed envelope design, and a stapler. It's much cheaper than buying the little packets) There's room for a lot of seed heads in a jar. I have also used coffee mugs and tea cups.

The other thing I use for seeds is squares of metal window screen, folded over onto the seeds. Obviously this would not work for small seeds, but I use this for tomato seeds. I have a small piece of paper towel in the center of the screen, smear my rinsed seeds onto it, and fold it up completely. I label each fermenting jar using good blue masking tape, and transfer the tape to the screen and make sure it's folded in, since it can be peeled away. After that, I can toss them around without worry.

So far what has worked for me is yogurt cups. I can write on them and they don't take up as much space as the glad containers that I have.

Yup, yogurt cups are great for small seeds. I like the kind that has wider bottom than the rim, because it does not tip. :-)

I hang my lunch bags from the ceiling! I installed some curtain rods that fit in ring holders, and put the holders in the ceiling. On the rod I used rings with clips. I hang these in the garden office, up and out of the way. I don't worry about seeds getting caught in the bags. I shake and flick the bottom, they eventually come out.

GGG

I use paper plates or open trays up in the attic. Once I know the seeds are completely dry they go into labeled banker's boxes.

Those are all good ideas. I am surprised by the number of people who use plastic in any shape or form because I thought that would hold too much moisture. I guess if I can use plastic then I have a lot more options than I realized.

Thanks!
Lime

Well, I am currently using the cup shaped coffee filters. DH bought the wrong size at Costco, so I now have a lifetime supply...

They allow great air transfer, you can write the seed variety on them, the paper is sort of "rough", so the seeds don't slide out accidently and they stack in a loose sort of fashion. I just set the stack in an old bowl in an out of the way place in the basement.

Well, I am currently using the cup shaped coffee filters. DH bought the wrong size at Costco, so I now have a lifetime supply...

They allow great air transfer, you can write the seed variety on them, the paper is sort of "rough", so the seeds don't slide out accidently and they stack in a loose sort of fashion. I just set the stack in an old bowl in an out of the way place in the basement.

OMG, That is too funny...Cosco has jumbo sizes, so I imagine you really are set for life.

When you say cup shaped, is that cone shaped? Or is there another shape I'm not familiar with? I know there is also the basket shape to fit in an automatic drip coffeemaker, but those sides are very flimsy. They could work if they were in the right holder, but I have a feeling there is yet another coffee filter shape that I am unfamiliar with.

These sound more like what I want, but I have too many seeds for them all to fit in an old bowl -- I'd need many, many old bowls. I need to think of some sort of holder, because the #4 cone filters don't want to stand up by themselves, and yet I could see how they'd be perfect. Of course if there is a cup shaped filter, then maybe those would be even more perfect.

I'm wondering if these could be hung from an old 2 x 4 with thumbtacks. That would be interesting and accessible so I could keep adding pods to one or another as they ripen.

Or maybe a big bulb crate with dividers to keep the cones upright. I need to think about this.

Lime

Mine go in bowls lined with a coffee filter and put on top of the fridge to dry. They're out of the way, but not out of sight so theres less tendency for me to put off getting them packaged. When I start running out of room or containers to put them in, its time to clean and pack them up.

I save the return envelopes that come with junk mail. I seal the envelope shut and then cut off the very end. I store them vertically in a box with a bookend in it to keep them upright.

Paper Bags or Paper Plates up in the attic.
Would cook em right now, lol going to get 98 degrees today.
To trade or give away I use coin envelopes.

I went to Good will & bought 10 pie tins & use them to dry & to shake seed. I also found several different size mesh sifters & some cafeteria trays that I use to separate seed from chaff, & dry bigger pods on. When they are dry & clean I put them in plastic bags. Trudi, the drier sheets work great for getting rid of static! Thanks!
Maggie

I have found that paper bags work best for me.I take a basket,a marker and bags and fill them up.I leave everything in the carport to dry and let the bugs escape.I put them in my utility room last yr. and had bugs everywhere-never again will I bring seed bags into my house until they are dried and ready to be cleaned and pkg.I also use coffee filters for pepper and tomato seeds.I throw away tons of junk mail and never thought to use the envelops for drying seeds.Thanks for that tip.
moonphase

I also use the return envelopes from junk mail. I leave them open on my counter, leaning against a jar, until they are good and dry, then file them in my seed box. If the seeds are very small, I will cut the envelope in half and get two "containers." If there are large seedheads, I may use a manila envelope or set them on a paper towel on a plate until thoroughly dry.

Maggie, et al, dryer sheets are a life saver here. They all have many usues after they've gone around in the dryer. Primarly I do use them for a quick dusting on electronices. The newer flat screen tvs and monitors seem to be huge dust magnets, wiping with a used dryer sheet leaves very little residual coating but helps prevent a lot of dust build-up. They'yre great for wiping the dashboard in the car. Down in the laundry room, where they originate, they take off all the lint from the lint trap in the dryer with one fast swipe. They are nearly indestructable so I do try to get a lot of use from all of them--after they've served as dust cloths, the used dryer sheets get shaken out and then dipped into sudsy water for cleaning the bathroom, then the catbox...toss in the trash afterwards. Once dryer sheet goes a long way and usually doesn't snag or shred like handywipes. Alternately, cut them into strips and use as ties with plant stakes in the garden.
=============

Now, back to seed saving. If you're in a hurry you can simply cut the stem of the plant with the mature pods attached. Put the stems into large empty vases or tall and narrow empty boxes. This works well with large quantities of dense flowers like amaranths and celosias. Set the vases and boxes into a pillow case, but don't pull the case up, leave it "puddled" around the base of the vase/box. Should any seeds drop in the drying process they fall into the pillow case and are trapped. Later on, you can lay out a clean tablecloth or sheet and thrash the dried flowers on the fabric, letting both chaff and seeds fall together. Clasp the fabric corners to gather the seeds and chaff to the center, then carefully pour/work out the seeds into a roasting pan. Puff away the chaff. Obvously, this is a method for when you have a lot of seeds to save--several stems of amaranth can yield cups of seeds--the high quantities are great for breaking down into generous packets for trades or sharing.

Forgot to mention that, if stuff I know is junk mail comes in a nice size envelope, I cut off the envelope end without opening it and then remove the contents to make a drying container. You can get 2 from one piece of mail this way, if there's a return envelope inside.

I use the heavy duty Chinette dessert plates and pyramid stack them on top of an armoire. The plates are heavy enough that opening doors won't flip them and they are up high enough to keep drying seeds away from curious little fingers. Then every few days, I just take them all down and stir them up to ensure complete drying. I can get quite a few up there! Plus I can write on the rim in pencil which ultimately is erasable and ensures reusability.

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Netta

P.S. Flimsy paper plates aren't heavy enough to keep from blowing over....my mistake first time around early last year!

Behind me I have a bookcase and over the books are paper plates of drying tom seeds. I like using the bookcase because the cats can't lay on the plates, they're out of the window drafts and I'm not going to knock them with my arms. In my own house, the top of that armoire would become a cat lair. If I didn't have cats it would be perfect for drying seeds. I like your neat pyramid ;-)

Guess it's a good thing I don't have any cats. I have a new bookcase on my upstairs landing that I am using this year instead of the armoire. I can get the plates in there two deep and it's visually more out of the way. Already have some things up there and that's after I said I wasn't going to collect seed this year! LOL! I said I wasn't going to trade for seed either and that's already out the window! LOL! Wonder how long I can hold out on buying more seeds................;)

Oh yes! As soon as I saw Netta's nice stack I could see Miss Kitty belly diving into those! I love the idea of using the attic once we get it sprayed with insulation, but we don't have a place to have stairs that have a pull down opening. We have to use a ladder, in the bedroom. Nix on the attic drying!!
During our renovation, the contractor has been very carefully helping us to create a kitchen with a seed office off to the side - and getting temps just right in there. Not to dry, not too humid, not to warm or cold...perfect for seed storage.

GGG

What? You put in a SEED OFFICE? How many seeds do you have??? What does it look like?

OMG, PLEASE!! take a photo so we can all email it to our dhs with a caption that says, "Honey can you build one of these for me this weekend?" ROTFLMAO!!

i also use the return envelopes..be aware that the tiny seed can escape at the corners..i tape the ends to make sure.
pam

Seed Office? FEH! That's just one room. There's Seed HQ here!

Method: Grab every small dish, tupperware bowl, etc, and line it up on the kitchen counter.
Add Seeds
Add post-it notes for that extra-special fancy-touch.
Wait for s--- to hit the fan after several days weeks of the DH looking at this setup.
Retreat to basement for the winter with dried seeds & sow.
Wait for s--- to hit the fan after several weeks months of the DH looking at this setup in the driveway/yard.
Plantout.
Wait for bloom show.
Lather, rinse, Repeat.

Lol! Tina, That's what I do now -- I was hoping for someone to post & tell me how they made a 100-variety seed dryer out of shoeboxes, a battery and a lightbulb. Where is MacGuyver when you need him?

Lime

Too cute, Tina! I think you should be in journalism. You do have a way with words.

Karen

I also am blessed to have a seed office. which i share with my scrapbooking stuff. i put my seeds in paper bags also and let them dry in my garden shed or the office. then i put them in yogart,cottage cheese, cream cheese containers and such. i have a cabinet I store them in with 3 drawers. annuals in one, perennials in one and whatever in the other. i usually run out of room and store them all over in there.
Tanya

I've been cramming pie tins overflowing with dry seedheads into the oven. So far, I've remembered to look inside and check before using the oven for actual baking, but it's probably only a matter of time...

Set it on "speed dry." I think it works.
My dishwasher has a speed dry button.